While visiting Chicago, during the spring of 2007, I happened to come across the quote, ’self love is freedom’ written in graffiti, outside of a church in Pilsen and it hit me so hard that as people, we have a hard time loving ourselves. This is most likely the result of having grown up in a society that places value more so on our looks rather than on our personalities and what we value or SHOULD value as people. Instead, we find ourselves valuing what is on the outside rather than what is on the inside, even if our insides are not healthy. So, this quote inspired me to write this poem entitled, Self Love Is Freedom.
If you love yourself, than you are free
to be whatever you please.
So please just take a second out to listen to me
and then maybe you’d see
that in order to take control of your destiny
there needs to be a sense of we,
as in community.
Because that is where Identity and a sense of self come to be.
But first, that community
must be aware of their history,
in order to know where they come from,
forming a cultural identity,
around which that communal family
builds upon, giving one a sense of unity
and acceptance within that family.
Ask yourself,
Do you know your history?
What I am trying to say
is find yourself through a community
that knows its rich history.
And once you have come to learn that beautiful history
about your family,
you will realize your worth as a person
in relation to that community,
truly recognizing your potential
to challenge and change
what you know deep down inside
is wrong in this oppressive society.
And once you set yourself free
and have begun to love yourself,
others will love you for who you are.
And maybe they will see
what you saw in your community
and hopefully
a sense of self will come to be.
Because no one is truly free
until we are ALL free.
